Fighting Our Way Through the Darkness: Who We Are
by DocMcRegals
Summary: Things are starting to look up for Carson after her accident, but they quickly sour when Gary Clarke walks into the hospital with a gun. Season 6 Canon Divergent AU; Part I of the Fighting Our Way Series.
1. Chapter 1

" _The human life is made up of choices. Yes or no? In or out? Up or down? And then there are the choices that matter: to love or hate, to be a hero or to be a coward, to fight or to give in, to live or die…live or die? That's the most important choice, and it's not always in our hands. Yes or no? In or out? Up or down? Live or die? Hero or coward? Fight or give in? I'll say it again, to make sure you hear me: the human life is made up of choices. Live or die? That's the important choice…and it's not always in our hands_ "- **Derek Shepherd**

Los Angeles:

Running a practice was harder than she thought, especially when you're trying to save said practice from bankruptcy. She sat at her desk filing through bills, looking at bank statements, mortgage loans, refinance loans and shook her head. The only bright side to working this hard were the lo mien noodles her boyfriend Kevin Nelson had brought her earlier that day. However, at this point, the noodles had grown cold and her butt hurt from sitting for so long. She needed to get up and stretch. She stood, rolling her shoulders back and forth, popping her joints. She looked up when she noticed her best friend of over 20 years standing in the doorway.

"Rough day?" Naomi Bennett said as she tilted her head at her friend.

"Like you wouldn't believe," Addison groaned as she made her way over to the purple couch that sat in her office.

"You look stressed," Naomi said as she sat beside her; she immediately pulled out a bag of chocolates. Chocolates always seemed to do the trick whenever one of them was stressed out.

"Do you really want me to tell you what's got me so stressed out?" Addison asked, biting her lower lip. She knew that Naomi was still apprehensive about their friendship since she'd taken over the practice. Naomi sighed heavily, noticing Addison's apprehension.

"Addie, I know that you didn't intentionally take over the practice; it's okay, you can tell me," Naomi said as Addison sighed.

"I'm looking over finances for the practice…" Addison said apprehensively as Naomi nodded, however before she could respond, Addison's cell phone rang.

"Carson?" Addison paused for a second, listening to the pain in her daughter's voice.

"Carson, sweetie slow down; tell me what's going on?" Addison's spine straightened as she stood, clutching the phone to her ear. Something wasn't right with her daughter; Naomi tried to speak, though she was cut off when Addison held up a hand.

"Carson, where are you? Driving? Who's car are you driving? Meredith's, you're driving Meredith's car? How did you…you stole Meredith Grey's car?! Carson Danielle Shepherd, you cannot go stealing people's cars! Carson, it's raining in Seattle and…your father said what? Why would he…nevermind? Carson, you need to go back to the hospital or to Meredith's house. Carson, I know you're upset but taking your father's girlfriend's car isn't the…hello? Carson? Carson? Carson!" Addison was practically shouting into the phone when Naomi reached out and grabbed her arm, forcing her to whip around.

"Something's happened to Carson," Addison whispered tearfully.

Seattle:

"Ya fucked up Shep," Mark Sloan said to his best friend as the two men played golf on the hospital rooftop.

"Gee, thanks, Mark," Derek deadpanned as his swung his golf club and missed.

"Did ya really have to bring up the fact that I screwed Addison, and in front of Ryan of all people? I thought the three of us agreed that Ryan would never find out about that; Carson knowing was bad enough," Mark huffed.

"Why did you sleep with my wife?" Derek asked, tossing his golf club onto the ground as Mark shook his head.

"You're not gonna pin your outburst at Carson on me Derek. My sleeping with Addison happened years ago; I thought you were over it?" Derek sighed harshly; it had been years since Mark slept with Addison and the three of them had come to the mutual decision that they were over it.

"You're right, I just…she hates me Mark; she told me I was a terrible father," Derek shook his head slowly; how had his life become reduced to this?

"Shep…" Mark began as Derek's cell phone rang. Mark watched as Derek moved to the other side of the rooftop and spoke in hushed tones for a few moments before rushing towards the stairs.

"Shep! Shep, wait up!" Mark had a sinking feeling in his gut that something was wrong with the way Derek left the rooftop.

"Derek, Derek, what's wrong?" Mark finally caught up with his best friend as he was racing to the elevators, leaving the hospital.

"It's Carson; something's happened…Addison called and, I have to find her," Derek's words were jumbled as he spoke, letting Mark know that whatever was going on was serious.

"Shep-"

"I can't Mark, not now," Derek groaned in frustration as he waited for the elevator.

"Screw it, I'm taking the stairs," Derek mumbled as he dashed down the staircase.

Mark sighed heavily as he watched his best friend exit the surgical floor. He shook his head and tried to dial Addison to figure out what was going on, but got no answer. He looked up when he saw the smiling faces of Callie and Arizona; at least someone was happy today, he thought to himself.

"What's up Sloan?" Arizona was her usual perky and annoying self as she spoke to him.

"Not now blondie," Mark muttered, still trying to get through to Addison.

"What's up with you?" Callie asked as Mark shook his head.

"Something's happened to Carson; Addison called Derek and the next thing I knew, he was running out of here like a crazy person," Mark said.

"I can tell you what happened to Carson, Derek's words hurt her feelings and she probably called Addison," Callie said firmly; she wasn't exactly a Derek fan, especially after the prom thing.

"Come on Callie, Carson was being pretty bratty today; taking Mark's car…" Arizona reasoned.

"Because Derek was taking all freakin day to get her something to eat!" Callie argued as Arizona shook her head sadly.

"I think your friendship with Addison is making you-"

"This has nothing to do with me being friends with Addison; what he said to her was…it was low, even for Shepherd," Callie said, glancing at Mark who looked visibly upset.

"Mark? Mark, what's wrong?" Callie asked.

"That was Addison, Carson's been in an accident," Mark said grimly as shock registered on the two women's faces.

"But, but how? Didn't Derek-" Callie was confused, trying to wrap her head around what was happening.

"She stole Meredith's car; Addie said she called her. The last thing she heard before the line went dead was a horn and screeching tires," Mark muttered as he began to pace back and forth.

"Mark, that could mean anything; it doesn't mean-"

"I shouldn't have let her borrow my car; dammit! If something happens to her Torres…" Mark was visibly shaken by the news. Callie stood in front of him, gently rubbing her hand up and down his spine.

"Mark, you had no idea Derek was gonna blow up like that; you had no idea Carson was gonna steal Meredith's car. This isn't your fault," Callie reminded him, though Mark didn't seem to be listening.

"She's my goddaughter Torres; if something happens to her…first I ruin Derek's marriage by sleeping with his wife and now his kid…" Mark slammed his hand into a wall out of frustration, causing people to stare at him.

"What the hell are you people looking at? Go back to work!" Callie shouted.

"Mark, let's just take a walk, huh? C'mon?" Callie said, gently leading him away.

Los Angeles:

"Addison, Addison what's going on? Addison, where are you going? Addison, why are you packing your clothes?" Amelia Shepherd stood and watched her sister-in-law frantically pack a bag.

"Addison, Addison, what's happening?" Amelia is nervous; she has never seen her sister-in-law like this.

"Addie, Addie calm down; you're scaring Amelia," Naomi was trying to keep her friend calm.

"Naomi, tell me what's going on. Addison came in and-" Naomi immediately walked over to the younger Shepherd sister and gently placed her arms on her shoulders.

"Amelia, breathe; something's going on with Carson and Addison's going to Seattle to make sure she's okay. She and Derek had a little spat and she was upset. There's nothing to be worried about; everything's fine," There, that wasn't so bad, was it? Naomi knew that Addison was in no mood to talk to Amelia. All she cared about was getting to Carson, which Naomi completely understood.

"Addison? You home?" Kevin Nelson's voice floated through the lower part of Addison's home, causing Addison to look at Naomi, her eyes full of desperation.

"I'll handle Kevin," Naomi said before heading downstairs.

Being a friend to Addison Forbes Montgomery during a time of crisis was a hard job sometimes. But Naomi understood; this was Addison's child and she wasn't sure what had happened to her so that meant her that rational thinking went out the front door. Naomi couldn't say she blamed Addison for that one bit.

"Naomi, hey, is Addison home?" Kevin was a nice guy, but couldn't fit in with Addison's hectic lifestyle.

"She's um…something's happened to Carson and so Addie has to fly out to Seattle to see about her," Naomi said quietly as Kevin became alarmed.

"Something happened to Carson? Is she alright?" Kevin was doing his best to head upstairs to see Addison but Naomi stopped him.

"Kevin, Addison's very upset right now; she needs to finish packing so that she can catch her flight," Naomi explained.

"She's already booked a flight?"

"She's taking her family's jet," Naomi said as Kevin ran a hand over his face.

"Does she know exactly what happened?" Kevin asked; Addison and Kevin had been dating for just over a year and Kevin had grown to seriously care about Addison and her kids during that time.

"She doesn't; Carson got into a fight with Derek and called Addie while she was driving…it was raining in Seattle," Naomi said, not finishing the rest of her sentence, shuddering to think of what was going on with her pseudo niece.

"Jesus Christ; does Derek-"

"Derek didn't know; he'd put her on punishment and sent her upstairs to her room. She snuck out, stole Meredith's car and-"

"I'm going with her," Kevin said as he made his way upstairs to his and Addison's bedroom.

"The more the merrier," Naomi muttered before retreating upstairs.

oOoOo

 _Derek, if something happens to her; if something happens to Carson I will never forgive you._

 _How could you say those things to her Derek!?_

 _Goddammit, Derek!_

His conversation with Addison seemed to be on repeat in his head as he drove like a madman through the streets of Seattle in search of his daughter. He shouldn't have said those things, shouldn't have reacted the way he did. Addison was right, him becoming chief definitely led to disaster. First, there was the merger, then, there was Gary Clarke, and now this. How had he let being chief become more important than his children? How had he let history repeat itself? It was the desire to become chief that led him to spend more time at home than with his family.

Derek shook his head, banging his hand on the steering wheel in frustration; he needed to find Carson. His heart stopped when he saw the flashing lights of an ambulance a few yards ahead. He pulled his car to a stop and got out, searching for any signs of Carson or Meredith's car. When he looked ahead and saw Meredith's car wrapped around a tree along with another car on fire, he lost his lunch. Every bone in his body shook with fear as he ran towards the scene, glancing around for any sign of Carson.

"Daddy!" Derek's ears perked up at the sound of someone calling his name.

"Daddy!" Squinting his eyes, Derek breathed a sigh of relief when he saw someone running towards him, nearly causing him to topple over.

"Carson! Oh, thank god you're alright," Derek whispered over and over when he had his daughter in his arms.

"Daddy, I'm sorry!"

He pulled back to look at her; she looked somewhat okay, a few scratches and bruises here and there but alive. That was what mattered the most to Derek; his daughter was alive.

"What the hell were you thinking? You scared your mother and me half to death! Don't you ever run off like that again, do you understand me? God Carson, you could've…" Derek couldn't finish his sentence for the tears that spilled over onto his cheeks as he held his daughter close.

"I'm sorry daddy, I'm so, so sorry," Carson mumbled as father and daughter stood in the rain holding one another as they cried.

2 Hours Earlier…

Carson stormed into Meredith's house, pushing past her brother and her father's girlfriend. She didn't bother stopping, she ran all the way upstairs to the room that was hers while she was visiting her father. She slammed the door shut and flopped onto the bed. Hot, wet tears flowed onto the pillow as Carson sobbed.

How could her father say the things he said? She did nothing wrong! He was so…she hated him, hated everything about him. She couldn't stay here any longer, she needed to leave. Her father was too focused on his career to notice that she wasn't there anymore. She knew trying to go back to Los Angeles was a long shot. She needed to get away, to clear her head.

The only place she could think of was her father's trailer over on Bainbridge Island. She may have hated his stupid trailer, but it was the most remote place she could think of. If she could just get there, she'd be able to sleep and then she'd call her mother the next morning and get back on a plane to Los Angeles.

Once she was there, she'd beg her mother to never make her visit her father ever again. She was done with Derek Christopher Shepherd. What he'd done today was unacceptable and unforgivable; she, like her mother, had grown tired of him.

Carson packed quickly and quietly, placing the bare necessities into a duffle bag. She made sure to sneak downstairs when Meredith and her friends weren't looking. She managed to grab Meredith's keys and stealthily sneak out of the back door. Meredith's car was a stick shift, but luckily for her, Cooper had been letting her practice in his car, something her mother didn't know. She carefully pulled out of Meredith's driveway without anyone ever noticing she was gone.

The weather was nastier than it was when she'd went out to get dinner. The rain was pelting aginst the windshield so bad that she could barely see; she had to turn on the bright lights. She made sure the wipers were set at their fastest speed. Carson was still in tears as she drove, her mind replaying the incident between her and her father over and over. Each time she thought about it, the harder she cried. There was only one person she wanted to talk to right now. Carson reached down into the passenger's side and grabbed her cell phone, pressing her mother's number which was number one on speed dial.

" _Hello_?" Carson let out a sob of relief when her mother picked up the phone.

"Mommy," Carson whimpered.

"Carson?"

"Mom, I wanna come home…please!" Carson begged her mother who grew worried as she listened to how upset her daughter sounded.

"Carson, sweetie slow down; tell me what's going on?"

"I hate it here mom, I just wanna come home!" Carson sobbed into the phone

"Carson, where are you?" Addison said doing her best to stay calm, but it was hard to stay calm when her daughter sounded so upset.

"I'm driving; I'm coming back to LA," Carson sniffled

"Driving? Who's car are you driving Carson?" Addison asked

"Meredith's…" Carson mumbled.

"Meredith, you're driving Meredith's car?"

"Yeah…I sorta stole it," Carson admitted, hearing her mother sigh on the other end of the phone; now she'd done it.

"How did you…you stole Meredith Grey's car?! Carson Danielle Shepherd, you cannot go stealing people's cars!"

"Mom! I couldn't stay there, not after what dad said to me…" Carson explained as she cut on her turning signal in order to signal the driver in the next lane that she needed to get over.

"Carson, it's raining in Seattle and…your father said what?"

"Mom, I just…he said I was a spoiled brat and he brought up what happened with Uncle Mark," Carson said, biting her lower lip; repeating what her father said still hurt.

"Why would he…nevermind. Carson, you need to go back to the hospital or to Meredith's house," Addison said softly as Carson let out a growl of frustration; the stupid car in the next lane was refusing to let her over. She tapped the gas with her foot to get ahead of them. Maybe the next car would let her over.

"Carson I know you're upset but taking your father's girlfriend's car isn't the…hello? Carson? Carson? Carson!" Addison shouted into the receiver.

Carson was trying to respond to her mother, though she dropped her phone onto the floor.

"Shit," Carson muttered; she couldn't reach down to pick up her phone.

She still needed to get over, but the stupid car beside her refused to get over. She picked up more speed and finally had enough room to get over. However, what she wasn't counting on was the car she was trying to get over in front of to cut her off. Carson hit her breaks but it was too late; the other car hit hers, causing her to fishtail. Carson tried not to panic, but with the weather being as bad as it was, she couldn't help but panic. She tried to swerve in order to avoid hitting other cars but her breaks stalled; great, just great. There was nothing else she could do; she was going to crash. She grabbed the steering wheel and prepared for impact; she silently prayed to God that she didn't die.

She could still hear her mother shouting her name when she crashed.

oOoOo

"Alright people, we've got a multiple MVC coming in. I have to warn you that Shepherd's daughter was involved in the crash," Dr. Webber informed his trauma team as everyone began to ask a million questions.

"Calm down everyone; Derek said she seemed fine but , this kid is still one of ours. Robbins…" Dr. Webber began as Arizona nodded.

"Karev and I will take good care of her chief," Arizona said as Dr. Webber nodded.

"Hunt, we've got one driver with multiple fractures, a severe head lack, and a crushing chest-abdominal injury. Think you can handle it?" Owen nodded his head before assigning an intern to prep a trauma bay.

"Chief," Mark was running towards Dr. Webber, Callie following close behind.

"She's fine Sloan; Derek was out looking for her when he saw the crash. They're 6 minutes out," Dr. Webber informed him as Callie breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank God; see Mark, I told you Carson would be fine," Callie smiled.

"Carson might be, but Addison's not," Mark said as he locked eyes with his best friend's ex-wife.

"Addison? When did you-" Dr. Bailey asked, completely surprised to see her friend.

"Not now, Bailey; Mark, where is she? Where's Carson?" Addison asked; she looked completely frazzled as Mark pulled her into a hug.

"She's fine Red; she was in an accident, but Derek found her. She's 6 minutes out," Mark said, still rubbing circles on Addison's back as she let out shuddering breaths.

"Did he really bring up the cheating?" Addison whispered, cautiously gazing up at Mark.

"He did; he knows it was stupid Addie," Mark explained as Addison sighed.

"Where's Ryan?" She asked.

"He's still at Meredith's," Mark replied.

"Could you go get him, please? As soon as Carson gets checked out we're going back to LA," Addison said firmly as Callie stared at her.

"Addison, you can't-"

"Callie, stay out of this; my daughter could've lost her life tonight. I can't trust Derek with them, not after this," She said as Dr. Webber stepped in front of her.

"Addie, Derek said she was fine when he found her at the scene, but you know how those things go. With her adrenaline rushing, anything could be wrong with her. Just, give us a chance to look at her before you make any decisions," Dr. Webber urged; he knew how to get through to her and it worked.

"Derek had better hope to god that she's alright, because if she's not…"

"We're the best Addie; you know we're gonna take good care of her," Dr. Webber said soothingly.

"Dr. Bennett, surprise seeing you here, and without Archer," Dr. Bailey said as she greeted Naomi.

"Dr. Bailey, nice to see you again, I just hate that we keep meeting like this," Naomi said as she shook Dr. Bailey's hand.

"I hate it too; you didn't answer my question,"

"Archer and I broke up a while ago…it didn't work out," Naomi said bitterly.

"We haven't met before; Miranda Bailey, I'm a friend of Addison's and you are?" Dr. Bailey asked.

"Kevin Nelson, Officer Kevin Nelson; I'm Addison's boyfriend," Kevin said as he shook Dr. Bailey's hand. Mark and Callie eyed Kevin suspiciously before turning their attention to Addison.

"You never mentioned having a boyfriend the last time we talked, or ever," Callie said as Mark continued eyeing the other man.

"Name's Mark Sloan," Mark said as held out a hand for Kevin to shake.

"So you're the best friend that she slept with," Kevin said as Addison's eyes widened.

"Kevin!" She hissed as Dr. Bailey and Callie smirked.

"What?" Kevin said with a shrug.

"Mark, Kevin, Kevin, Mark; Mark is Derek's best friend and he's Carson and Ryan's godfather," Addison explained as she silently warned both men to get along.

"Nice to meet you," Kevin said, finally extending a hand for Mark to shake as Mark grunted in response.

"I'm gonna go…do something; I'm sure you've got some babies that need to be saved?" Addison said to Richard who simply chuckled.

"I've got a few laboring moms who would love to see you, Addie," Richard said as Addison quickly made her way away from Mark and Kevin.

"Page me the second she gets here!" Addison called out as she motioned for Naomi to follow her.

"Well, things are about to get interesting," Callie muttered as Dr. Bailey agreed.

"Addison coming to town is always interesting," Dr. Bailey chuckled, giving Mark and Kevin one last glance as the two continued to stare at one another.

 _Chapter 2 to follow…_

 **Hello, my pretties!**

 **So some of you may remember this story from a while ago. I went through a major deleting spree of stories that were repetitive, lacked reviews and responses, and ideas I just couldn't follow through with. I really have faith in this series because of the concept, which is really awesome. So it's basically a 4 part story if you count the prequel 'Regret'. It starts around the Season 6 finale, which makes it canon divergent. There are certain characters present like Izzie, Teddy Altman, and Lexie Grey. This story is a bit of a crossover, seeing as Addison is in Los Angeles at the beginning. I have to tell you that while this story is Addek endgame strong, there will be references to Maddison, MerDer, and Slexie. With that being said, I hope you all enjoy and please feel free to leave a review!**

 **Xx**


	2. Chapter 2

oOoOoOo

"16-year-old Carson Shepherd; possible head contusion. Severe head and arm laceration; Dr. Shepherd called it in," Nate the paramedic said as he wheeled Carson in on a stretcher, though she insisted that it wasn't necessary.

"Alright people let's move; Robbins, Karev," The chief motioned for the two of them to come forward.

"I want Mark to look at her wounds," Derek ordered before going to check on the other victims who were being wheeled in.

"Derek, I should warn you, Addison's here," The chief said quietly as Carson perked up.

"Mom's here?" Her head immediately began looking around for her mother.

"Relax little Montgomery; your mom's off saving some babies to keep her from killing your dad," Alex said with a smirk as he checked her injuries.

"I should've known she'd move heaven and hell to get to me," Carson smiled.

"You scared her half to death; you scared us all half to death," Alex muttered as Carson grinned at him.

"Why Karev, I didn't know you cared," Carson teased as Mark pushed back the curtains.

"Carson, thank God you're alright!" Mark nearly knocked Karev over as he rushed towards his goddaughter.

"Uncle Mark, I'm fine, honest," Carson protested as he hugged her close.

"You say that but you're lying in a hospital bed, Carley! Do you know what could've happened? You could've been hurt or…don't ever do that again, do you hear me?" Mark said as tears welled up in his eyes.

"I'm sorry Uncle Mark; I didn't mean to hurt or scare anybody I just…" Carson began as her lower lip trembled.

"C'mere kid," Mark muttered as he held her close.

"I don't know what I'd do if I ever lost you; you may not be my kid but-"

"Hey, I'm still your kid; who taught me how to cross the street and how to hail a taxi cab, huh? You did that: not daddy, not Uncle Archer, you," Carson said with a wink.

"I'm still not over the fact that my 10 years old hailed a taxi to this hospital the middle of the night," Addison said as she stood near the opening of the curtains.

"Mom!" Carson said as Addison rushed to her bedside, cupping her face as tears fell down her cheeks.

"My sweet girl; you were reckless and stupid and…Jesus Carson! You could've been killed! Stealing Meredith Grey's car! What were you thinking? Don't answer that because you weren't! You're determined to give me gray hair and a heart attack, aren't you?" Addison laughed tearfully as Carson practically crawled into her lap.

"I'm sorry mom, I didn't mean to-"

"Shh; I'm just glad you're alright," Addison said softly, running her hands through Carson's hair.

"You're not gonna kill daddy, are you?" Carson asked.

"I won't kill him, but I am gonna have a serious talk with him. Right now, you are gonna let Alex and Arizona check you out, understood"

"But-"

"No buts Carson, you know how trauma works. Just because a person is initially fine-"

"I know, I know, the first 24 hours are always the most critical," Carson sighed and rolled her eyes.

"I'll be back; I need to find your father before he runs into Kevin," Addison said.

"Wait, Kevin's here?" Addison nodded, giving Mark a smirk.

"He's already met Mark and…well, I'll let Mark tell you how that went," Addison said before pressing a kiss to Carson's head and leaving.

"You never told me your mom dated a member of SWAT," Mark said as Carson giggled.

"You sound like Uncle Archer; Kevin's not SWAT, he's a cop," Carson said.

oOoOo

"Derek!" Meredith Grey rushed towards her post-it husband when she saw him standing on the CAT walk.

"Mere," Derek said as he pulled her into an embrace.

"I got here as soon as I heard; is she okay?"

"She's fine; your car's totaled-"

"It doesn't matter, as long as Carson's okay; Derek I'm sorry-"

"It wasn't your fault; you didn't…I was a terrible father to her, to both of them. She ran away because of the things I said," Derek's eyes were downcast as he did everything he could not to cry.

"She doesn't hate you Der," Addison said, causing Meredith and Derek to look up.

"Addie, I-"

"Meredith, could you-" Meredith nodded, giving Derek a kiss; she gave Addison a cordial head nod before she left the two exes alone to talk.

"Addison-"

" _What the hell Derek_? You told her she was being a brat and that I was the terrible parent because I slept with Mark?"

"Addie, I-"

"And then you said it in front of Ryan? I thought, I thought the three of us, you, me, and Mark, agreed to never use that against one another, especially in front of the kids. Derek…you could've cost our daughter her life tonight do you understand that? I don't know the whole story but-"

"You're right, Addie; I shouldn't have yelled at her the way I did. I shouldn't have said those things to her. I just…you have no idea how scared I was seeing Meredith's car wrapped around that tree and thinking…I'm sorry, Addison," Derek was openly crying at this point and didn't care who saw him.

"I'm not the one you should be saying sorry to Der," Addison quietly replied.

"But I do, I owe you an apology too; I never meant to hurt you, Addison, ever. I never wanted our marriage to end the way it did. Can you ever forgive me?" Derek was desperate, his eyes pleading with his ex-wife who sighed heavily.

"Carson's the one you need to apologize to, not me," Addison said before walking away.

oOoOo

"I've known you for a very long time Addison, and not once did you mention to me that you were dating a cop, a very handsome cop at that," Miranda Bailey lightly scolded her friend as the two women, along with Naomi, sat in the attendings' lounge later that night.

"Kevin and I have been dating off and on for a year now," Addison admitted as she took a sip of her bottled water.

"A year? You've been seeing this man for a year and never thought to mention it to anybody?" Bailey raised an eyebrow in question.

"Relax, Miranda, Kevin is nice but…"

"She's gonna break things off with him, again," Naomi finished as Addison rolled her eyes.

"What's wrong with him? Besides the fact that he rubs Shepherd and Sloan the wrong way which, I for one take personal enjoyment in," Bailey said with a chuckle.

"It's not that it's just…I don't know Miranda. I like him but-"

"You don't like him enough to keep stringing him along? Then why is he here, in Seattle with you while you check on your daughter?" Bailey asked

"He invited himself and I was too focused on getting to Carson to tell him to stay in Los Angeles. Besides, that is not how I wanted Derek or Mark to find out that I'm seeing someone," Addison groaned, resting her head against the cushion of the couch.

"I told you, you should've at least told Derek the last time you two talked," Naomi chided.

"What's really going on Addison?" Bailey stood in front of her friend, staring her right in the face.

"My brother was right; Kevin isn't from my world. He can't handle me being a Forbes Montgomery. We're too different," Addison said primly as Bailey snorted.

"I'll tell you what the problem is; you're falling for him but you don't want to because that'd mean that you're really over Derek and Sloan. That's what this is about," Bailey said as Addison's mouth gaped open.

"I…"

"Oh, I like you! I like you a lot! I'd been saying something along those lines but she denied it," Naomi grinned as Addison rolled her eyes.

"Okay one, I am over Derek; I've been over Derek for years now! And I never loved Mark Sloan," Addison argued as Callie let out a snort.

"You were over Derek so long as Meredith was just his girlfriend. Now there's this whole post-it marriage thing and the fact that he proposed to her with his mother's ring," Bailey countered.

"How the hell do _you_ know about Derek's mother's ring?"

"Doesn't matter how I know, but I know. I also know you're still bitter about Sloan coming to LA, sleeping with you and giving you false hope about you two getting together…" Bailey continued.

"But she never loved Mark," Callie muttered as Addison raised an eyebrow at her.

"Something you wanna say, Callie?" Addison asked as Callie shook her head.

"You don't want me to talk Addison…you almost had Mark's baby for god's sakes! You two had your whole 60 day no sex pact!" Callie shouted.

"Which I broke when I slept with Karev!" Addison countered

"Because you were scared; you were scared that what you and Mark had could be real!" Callie said as Bailey stepped between the two women.

"That's enough you two; Addison, Torres is right. You bail when you're scared, or do I need to bring up the fact that both your ex-husband and his best friend have moved on with Grey and Little Grey who aren't nearly half the woman you are. It's true; as much as I like Little Grey and as much as I can stomach Grey, they're nowhere near the woman that you are," Naomi nodded her head in agreement.

"As your oldest friend, I advise you to listen to these women Addie. By the way, why weren't we friends before this Dr. Bailey?" Naomi asked.

"Wait until she starts talking about you and Sam," Addison muttered.

"You and Sam haven't gotten back together yet?" Dr. Bailey prodded, causing Naomi to squirm in her seat.

"Told ya," Addison muttered.

"We weren't talking about me Dr. Bailey; we were talking about Addison," Naomi said as Bailey rolled her eyes.

"Anywho, Addison if you're not over Derek and Mark-"

"I'm over them," Addison said

"Then why are you finding bs excuses to dump your boyfriend? How come you didn't tell McDreamy and McSteamy about him? Hell, how come you kept me and Torres out of the loop!" Bailey whined as Addison chuckled.

"That's what this is about; I didn't tell you about Kevin after you told me about Ben," Addison teased as Dr. Bailey rolled her eyes.

"Okay so, I may be a little bit mad about that; but if you love him-"

"I don't love him; I could grow to love him one day but, I don't love him, not right now,  
Addison said quietly.

oOoOo

"Can you believe Addison's got a boyfriend?" Mark questioned to his best friend the following morning as they traveled down the hallway.

"I think Carson may have mentioned it once by accident or I overheard it during a phone conversation," Derek said, rather distractedly.

"And you failed to mention this to me?" Mark looked at Derek incredulously.

"Not now Mark," Derek sighed as he headed into his office, closing the door behind him.

He needed a moment to think; Addison's words struck him over and over again. He needed to right his wrongs with his family. He wasn't sure how he was going to do it, but he had a plan; he just hoped Addison would be willing to go through with it. He looked up when he noticed Mark still staring at him.

"I'm sorry Mark, continue to rant to me about Addison's new boyfriend," He said teasingly as his best friend glared at him.

"He's not a new boyfriend Derek; they've been dating off and on for over a year," Mark deadpanned as Derek's head shot up in surprise.

"She's been dating him for over a year?!" Derek gawked as Mark nodded.

"See," Mark smirked as Derek shook his head.

"Why'd she keep that quiet?" Derek wondered.

"That's what I'm sayin'; why wouldn't she say anything about him…maybe the sex is bad?" Mark wondered aloud as Derek rolled his eyes.

"Is that all you can think of, really, that he's bad in bed? Maybe she's not bringing him around and talking about him has nothing to do with us Mark," Derek shook his head.

"Actually, it does; if this new guy doesn't compare to you and me, _how can she bring him around_?" Mark said as Derek sighed.

"You really need to go; besides, aren't you seeing Little Grey again?" Mark sent Derek a warning glare.

"She's seeing Karev now; you know that…you just made me think about something. I slept with Addison while I was in LA," Mark said

"Yes, I'm well aware of this, what's your point?" Derek asked.

"If we slept together while I was in LA that means she and the SWAT cop were broken up…" Mark said as he stood and headed for the door.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Derek asked, completely amused by his best friend's antics. Mark didn't answer, instead, he mumbled about needing to find Addison.

Once he was alone, Derek sighed heavily; he had a lot of work to do, both personally and professionally. He reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a set of blueprints. They were for his property over on Bainbridge Island where the trailer sat. Derek had been holding onto them for a while now. After everything that happened now seemed like a perfect plan for him to use them.

He would give them to Addison; propose that she should move back to Seattle. If she didn't move back, she could always build on the property so that she and the kids could have a place to stay beside's a hotel whenever they came to visit. He knew that it would be a stretch to ask her, especially after he told her that all he wanted was Seattle and to never see her again following the divorce. Still, things change, and nearly losing Carson changed a lot of things for Derek. Plus, Richard's words kept ringing in his ears.

He had to do something to fix his relationship with his family and fast.


	3. Chapter 3

Derek was nervous as he made his way down the hall to his daughter's room. He still couldn't figure out how in the world she had managed to make it out of Meredith's car with nothing more than a minor concussion and a few bruises that required stitches. He didn't question it, though; he simply thanked whatever God may or may not be out there in the universe that his daughter was still alive. His mind was still reeling from his conversation with Addison the day before. She seemed tired, uninterested in talking to him; he couldn't blame her for that one. What he'd done, rather, what he'd said to their daughter was unacceptable.

He could've handled it better than to snap at her, instead he chose to let his frustrations of being the chief get to him. He never imagined being chief would be as hard as it had been for him. This wasn't the way he wanted to become chief; why was the opportunity for him to become chief always occur at a bad time? The first time he was up for chief of surgery position led to the demise of his marriage to Addison. The second time he was supposed to become chief, he was passed over for Burke. Then, he had to compete against Burke, Addison, and even Colin Marlow. Now he had finally become chief and it led to his daughter being in an accident that nearly took her life.

It also put a strain on his relationship with Meredith. Derek shook his head as his mind continued to spin. Before he knew it, his feet had led him to Carson's room where she sat laughing and talking with her mother, her brother, Naomi and her mother's boyfriend. So this was the infamous Kevin that Addison had never bothered introducing him to.

"Daddy, I didn't know you were coming by," Carson looked up from her conversation with her mother when she spotted her dad standing in the doorway.

"Uh yeah, I wanted to make sure you were okay," Derek said as he picked up her charts and walked into the room.

"I'm fine, dad; I'm a Montgomery-Shepherd, we're like, the most resilient people in the world," Carson grinned.

"That we may be, but it doesn't mean we're invincible Carson. Your chart looks good, minor concussion with no signs of bleeding. Karev had Mark look over your scars, Arizona did a CT scan-"

"Only because she knew you would insist," Addison said; there was happiness in her voice as she spoke. Derek glanced over at her to see her holding her boyfriend's hand.

"Oh, Derek I'm sorry I didn't introduce you; Derek this is Kevin Nelson. Kevin, this is my ex-husband Derek," Addison silently pleaded with both men to be nice to one another.

"Nice to meet you; I hate that we're meeting under these circumstances," Kevin stood and reached out to shake Derek's hand. His grip was strong, Derek liked that; he wasn't what he expected the next man Addison fell in love with to look like but, he seemed nice.

"It's nice to meet you too; I hear you and Addison have been dating for a while now," Derek said as Kevin chuckled.

"Let me guess, Mark told you that?" Derek chuckled as well.

"He mentioned it; I'm glad that Addie's found someone who makes her happy," Derek's words were genuine when he spoke.

"We've been dating off and on for a little over a year now; I'm glad I could be the one to make her happy again," There was something about Kevin's words that stung, something about his words that implied that Derek hadn't done his best to make her happy.

"So, how've things been going as chief?" Addison asked, desperate to kill the awkward silence in the room.

"It's been…it's been rough; nothing like I expected," Derek confessed, pulling up a seat beside Carson as he reached out to ruffle Ryan's hair. In the middle of all of the craziness, he realized that he hadn't really seen his son.

"I heard you had to take the job from Richard?" Addison's voice wasn't accusatory, but something told him that if it were just the two of them, she'd totally condemn him for how he got the job.

"You took the chief job from Grandpa Richard?" Carson asked as Derek nodded.

"It just sort of happened; Richard's wanted to retire for a while and, the board felt like I was a good fit," Derek explained; though he was sure that his wife (Ex-wife) and daughter didn't believe it.

"Addison tells me you were up for Chief of surgery before," Kevin said as Addison cast him a look.

"Uh, yeah back when we lived in New York; it's what led to our divorce. I let that get in the way of what was really important," Derek said as he glanced at his children.

"But I promise that isn't going to happen anymore. In fact, I've been doing some thinking and, I may step down as chief, let somebody else have it," Derek said as Addison and Carson looked at him in complete shock.

"But dad, you've wanted to be chief for as long as I can remember," Carson said as Derek reached over to grab Carson and Ryan's hand.

"I did, I do; but after what happened to you, after what I said…" Derek sighed heavily as his conversation with Carson replayed in his head over and over.

"Carson knows you didn't mean it dad; you were just…frustrated, that's all. She does the same thing to mom sometimes," Ryan quietly admitted as Derek smiled at him; Ryan had somehow become the peacemaker in their family.

"I know Ryan, but the way I handled it…I'm sure your mom doesn't yell at Carson the way I did," Ryan shook his head in response.

"No, but-"

"Exactly; I know Carson can be a little much at times, she gets that from your Aunt Amy and your Uncle Archer," Derek said, giving Carson a wink as she giggled.

"Of course, you'd say she's like my brother," Addison says with a smirk.

"That's not necessarily a bad thing Addie; I like Archer, sometimes," Derek laughed as Addison shook her head.

"But in all seriousness, Carson, I am so-" Carson wrapped her arms around her father as he breathed in her scent. He allowed one hand to reach over and pull Ryan into a hug as well.

"It's okay daddy, I forgive you; I know you didn't mean what you said. I love you, I love you so much and I'm sorry I scared you and mom and Ryan. I'm even sorry I ruined Meredith's car; I kinda liked her jeep," Carson said as Derek began to laugh; the laughter was so infectious that everyone in the room began to laugh.

oOoOo

"Look at them Cristina, they all look so happy," Meredith said as she watched Derek and his family through the window of Carson's hospital room.

"His kid was in a car accident Mere; that doesn't change how Derek feels about you. Besides, Addison's dating a SWAT cop," Cristina said as Meredith continued to stare at Derek and how he interacted with his children, occasionally stopping to talk with Addison and her new boyfriend. Meredith shook her head and sighed.

"They've got almost 20 years together, she's given him something I…I can't compete with that Cristina," Meredith said as Cristina looked at her friend.

"Derek doesn't know, does he?" Meredith shook her head.

"I was gonna tell him the other day but, all of this happened," Meredith said as she continued to watch Derek interact with Addison and their children.

"Mere-" Cristina began.

"I could tell him Cristina and he'd be happy, but would I really have that? Do I even want that?" Meredith said, pointing to the seemingly happy couple in front of her.

"Mere, you're almost 3 months pregnant, Derek deserves to know," Cristina urged.

"I'm gonna tell him Cristina, but this has to die down first,"

"There isn't anything to let die down; Carson's fine. Addison will be on a plane back to LA in another day or so. Carson will be gone probably a week after that; everything's already going back to normal," Cristina argued as Meredith shook her head.

"This has never been normal Cristina; nothing about this situation is normal,"

"Do you, do you want to have a baby Mere?" Cristina asked, looking her best friend in the eyes.

"I do; I could see myself with a little McBaby that looks like Derek," Meredith said with a smile as she unconsciously placed a hand on her slightly swollen belly.

"If you can see yourself having Derek's kid, then you've gotta tell him," Cristina said as Meredith stared at the scene in front of her, imagining one similar to that, but with a child of her own.

"I'm gonna tell him, tomorrow," Meredith said.

 _Chapter 4 to follow…_

 **I apologize for the long wait in between chapters; life got busy again. The next chapter is where things get interesting. I don't anticipate this story lasting only but a few more chapters. No, seriously, I don't see this story going to 10 chapters; 6, maybe 8 at the most. Remember this is a 3 part series, so the next installment will be a bit longer than this one. I hope you all enjoy and be on the lookout for chapter 4 soon!**

 **Xx**


	4. Chapter 4

**So this turned out to be shorter than I expected; this is the final chapter before we move into part II. There is a brief mention of the Private Practice timeline which is accurate for the most part. I have to point out that Addison didn't date Pete or have that weird thing with Wyatt Lockheart and Noah and she most certainly didn't kiss or have feelings Sam. Amelia is in LA but she may be coming to Seattle. For the most part, everything else stays the same in the PP verse.**

 **Enjoy this last chapter and leave me some reviews, it'll help me update faster!**

 **Xx**

* * *

"Addison's got a boyfriend Torres, can you believe it?!" Mark ranted as he and Callie sat in Joe's the following evening.

"You didn't think she'd stay single forever, did you? I mean, Addie's kinda hot; if she swung my way-"

"Hey," Mark said as Callie held up her hands in defense before taking a sip of her drink.

"Besides, aren't you all happy with Blondie?" Mark questioned, watching as a scowl formed on his friend's face.

"I want kids and she…doesn't," Callie sighed.

"Lexie doesn't want kids either, which is why she dumped me," Mark huffed.

"You slept with Addison," Callie pointed out.

"Only after Lexie dumped me; besides, she jumped into bed with Karev almost immediately after we broke up. Hey, maybe you and I should-" Mark began as Callie held up a hand.

"You and I are not having a baby Mark; I'm a lesbian and you're…"

"A whore who's self-loathing to an almost pathological degree?" Mark deadpanned.

"No, you're, you're just Mark," Callie said.

"Why does everybody say that?! What makes you think I couldn't change if I had a kid, look at what happened with Sloane! I took her in when her mother put her out! I helped her, I saved her baby and what does she do? She-"

"Mark, we both know Sloane wasn't ready to be a mom; she was an 18-year-old kid. Let's not talk about having children. Tell me why you're so mad at Addison for having a boyfriend?"

"I'm not mad Torres, I'm just-"

"What, jealous?" Callie laughed as the realization hit her.

"Oh my god, you are jealous! Mark, why would you be jealous of Addison-"

"They both got happy again and I'm the one who's miserable. I mean Derek's got Meredith, Addison's got LA and her cop and I've got…I've got nothing! I've matured more than both of them and-"

"Whoa, you haven't matured more than Derek and Addison. Derek? Maybe, but Addison's always been the most mature out of you three. Instead of being jealous, try finding a woman who wants what you do," Callie said to her friend.

"What about you? Are you gonna apply this piece of advice to yourself?" Mark asked as Callie opened her mouth and closed it.

"I…I love her, Mark,"

"She doesn't make you happy; love isn't supposed to make you miserable Callie,"

"You're right but…oh, shut up! We're both in the same boat; we're in love with people who don't want what we want. Let's just drink and be miserable together…but we're not having sex Mark," Callie warned as he slipped an arm around her shoulder before signaling the bartender.

oOo

"So, do you think Derek likes me?" Kevin asked Addison as they got settled into their hotel room.

"Why does it matter if Derek likes you or not?" Addison asked as Kevin slipped behind her, his hands gripping her waist.

"Because I know it matters to you; Derek's your ex-husband. I'm just the guy-"

"You're the guy I'm in love with," Addison said, surprising her own self as the words tumbled out of her mouth.

"You love me?" Kevin asked, turning Addison around so that she could face him. She gave him a weak but believable smile before nodding.

"Yeah, I do; I know it's been hard with everything happening with my brother and-"

"I love you too, Addison," Kevin said before pulling her into a kiss.

Addison remained in his arms but said nothing. Her mind was racing; did she really love Kevin? He was a nice guy, he had a good job, he was extremely attractive. What wasn't there to love about him? She shook the thoughts from her head as she pulled back and kissed her boyfriend. She loved Kevin, she was just scared of what loving another man beside Derek Shepherd meant. She kissed him once more and allowed herself to fall into the possibility of being in love with someone else.

Derek had done it, come to Seattle and fell madly, head over heels in love with Meredith Grey. Mark had his little, whatever he had going on with Lexie. Even Sam and Naomi seemed to be on the verge of reuniting. All of her friends were falling in love again, why couldn't she do the same thing?

oOoOo

Meredith stood in the foyer of her house pacing as she waited for Derek to get home. The house was finally quiet, seeing as Alex had taken Lexie to the trailer for some 'alone time', Izzie was back at her own place while Cristina was somewhere with Owen or in surgery. Meredith was all alone, finally. She needed to prepare herself and the stupid speech she was going to give Derek when he came home from the hospital. She knew that he was sticking around longer due to Carson being a patient, but that would be changing tomorrow; Carson was going to be discharged. Soon after that, she and Ryan and Addison would be out of their hair and she and Derek could focus on their life. Okay so maybe the phrasing was bad but, there was something about having the redhead in town again that made Meredith uneasy.

Sure, Addison had moved to Los Angeles and was dating a cop but she couldn't help but notice the change in Derek's interactions with his ex-wife. Maybe it was Carson's accident that caused the change, but Meredith was afraid of what it could mean. They seemed too close for her liking. Sure, they would always be close due to the fact that they shared nearly 15 years and 2 children together. There was so much she didn't know about Derek, so much about his past that she wanted to unlock. He knew all of her secrets, all of her faults and flaws but there still seemed to be parts of him that only Addison was able to unlock.

For the first time since he became chief, she'd seen him less tense. He seemed to smile and laugh more now that Addison was around. He seemed happier, more willing to spend time with Addison, even offering to get to know her boyfriend, taking him out for drinks at Joe's. After everything Derek had put her through the first time with Addison, Meredith had a right to be a little wary around her. She was jarred from her thoughts when she heard the front door open and the sound of three laughing voices greeted her ears.

"Oh, hey Mere," Derek was smiling, grinning even. Standing beside him was a happy looking Ryan and a cautious looking Carson.

"I thought she was supposed to be getting out of the hospital tomorrow?" Meredith asked.

"She got cleared today; Addison's doing a surgery tomorrow and then they're leaving for LA," Oh. That made sense; apparently he wasn't able to convince Addison to let the kids stay longer.

"Oh. Well, it's good to see you're doing better Carson," Meredith said as she gave Carson an awkward smile.

"Meredith, I, I'm sorry, about what happened; I didn't mean to steal your car and ruin it. Mom will totally pay for it," Carson said quickly as Meredith did something out of the ordinary; she hugged Carson.

"It's okay, what matters is you're safe and you're alive. That's what's important," Meredith said as she pulled back to look at the young redhead.

"Uh, gee, thanks, Meredith," Carson said as she stared back at the other woman completely bewildered.

"It's fine; you know what? I'm tired; I'm gonna go upstairs and go to bed, I'll see you guys in the morning?" Meredith said before bussing Derek's lips with a quick kiss and hurrying up the stairs.

"Dad is Meredith feeling okay because she just hugged me," Carson said as the three Shepherds stood in the foyer.

"I'm gonna go check on her; I'll be right back. Why don't we order some Thai food?" Derek said with a grin before pressing a kiss to his children's heads and heading upstairs.

"Okay, was it just me or-,in" Carson said with a bewildered look as she watched her father go upstairs behind Meredith.

"Everybody's weird; I'm going to play call of duty," Ryan said with a shrug, leaving Carson alone in the middle of the foyer.

oOo

What was she thinking? She couldn't compete with that; she'll never be able to compete with Derek's perfect Shepherd looking children with Addison. Meredith rushed upstairs to throw up the remainder of her dinner. Her eyes stung from unshed tears as well as her retching. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt Derek's hand running soothing circles on her back. When she stood and washed her mouth out, he was leaning against the doorframe.

"Meredith, what's wrong?" He asked as she pushed past him into the bedroom.

"Nothing Derek, leave me alone," Meredith plopped onto the bed as Derek moved to sit beside her.

"Meredith, what's-"

"I'm pregnant Derek; I'm three months pregnant and I had a stupid speech planned about how I'm dark and twisty and how my mother died and how despite all of that I would do everything I could to be the best mother I could be to this baby and-"

"You're pregnant?" Derek breathed as he stood, staring at Meredith in wonder and awe.

"Yeah," She whispered as Derek pulled her into his arms and kissed her passionately.

"Mere, we're having a baby," Derek whispered into her hair as he held her close.

"Derek, listen I'm not-" Meredith began as Derek kissed her once more.

"I don't need you to be anyone but yourself. You're not Addison and I don't want you to be. I'm over Addison; I'm in love with you. You're my breath of fresh air Mere; I wouldn't have made it through everything if you weren't by my side. I love you Mere, and I love this baby we're having," Derek whispered with tears in his eyes as he kissed her once more.

Carson stood outside of Meredith and Derek's door in shock; her father was having another baby? She shook her head slowly as she tried not to cry; her father no longer loved her mother. Things were so different now; her mother had moved on, her father had moved on indefinitely. Carson closed her eyes, trying to rid her mind of the news she'd just heard. She masked her face and knocked before opening the door.

"Hey, dad?" Derek looked up in surprise as Carson knocked on the door.

"Hey buddy, what's up?"

"I just wanted to see what kind of Thai food you and Meredith wanted," Carson gave her father a weak smile as she looked at them. He and Meredith looked pretty happy as they sat in an embrace. They were happy, and so was her mother; maybe this change was for the best she thought to herself.

"Y'know what, why don't we go out for Thai? My treat," Derek said as he stood.

"Derek, we don't have to-" Meredith began as Derek shook his head.

"No, I want to; I've got my children, I've got you…think of it as a celebration dinner. Carson's better, things are good now. We have a lot to celebrate," Derek grinned as he moved towards the door.

"Ryan, we're going out for dinner, let's go!" Derek said, leaving Carson and Meredith alone.

"Listen, Meredith-" Carson began as Meredith held up a hand.

"I know you know Carson," Meredith said as she remained seated on the bed.

"I…"

"I saw you through the crack in the door; I hope you know that I'm not-"

"I'm happy for you guys; he deserves, he deserves to be happy. My mom's happy with Kevin; I think it's time for my dad to be happy too. He…he really loves you Meredith," Carson said as she swallowed the lump in her throat.

"I know this isn't going to be easy for you Carson but-"

"When has my life ever been easy? My parents are Addison Montgomery and Derek Shepherd," The girl said with a smirk as Meredith smiled.

"I want us to be, at least friends. I mean-"

"No, I get it; we can be friends. I mean, we kinda have to now, I ruined your car, you're having my dad's baby…" Carson said with a small smile.

"Yeah…" Meredith said as an awkward silence filled the room before Carson cleared her throat and headed for the door.

"Hey, Carson?" Meredith called out as the young girl looked back at her.

"Your dad told me you wanted to be a doctor, have you figured out what specialty you wanna take up yet?" Talking about medicine seemed like a safe ground; it worked, Carson gave her a genuine smile.

"Not yet; I was thinking, next time I come down for a visit maybe I could shadow you and my dad?" Carson said hopefully as Meredith smiled back at her.

"That sounds like a great idea; I'm sure your dad would love it," Meredith said as the two of them headed downstairs. Almost immediately, Derek noticed the change in their dynamic.

"What's going on with the two of you?" He asked, looking between them.

"Nothing," both women said before glancing at one another and laughing.

"Let's go get something to eat," Derek chuckled as he led his family out of the house.

oOoOo

"I can't believe you used to work here," Kevin said to Addison as they stood outside of the hospital the following morning.

"I also lived in a trailer, albeit very briefly," Addison chuckled as the two held hands and went inside.

"Now that I have an even harder time believing," Kevin laughed just as they ran into Derek, Carson and Ryan.

"Hey guys," Addison said, giving each of her children a kiss before giving Derek a hug.

"Hey, you ready to go be a superstar?" Carson grinned as Addison grinned back.

"What's gotten into you this morning? You're usually a lot grumpier; did your father bribe you with caffeine?" Addison teased.

"No, I'm just…really happy that's all," Carson smiled as Derek and Addison exchanged glances.

"Don't ask me; I have no clue what's going on with her. Ever since she talked to Meredith last night…" Derek began, though Carson cut him off.

"There's nothing to be worried about; I just, I'm maturing people. My accident changed a lot of things and put some stuff into perspective for me. I gave Meredith and Dad my blessing last night; you and Kevin know how I feel about you dating. I just want my weird little hodgepodge family to be happy, that's all," Carson said as her parents stared at her.

"Uh, guys, are we sure the accident didn't have a delayed reaction on her brain, because Carson's acting really weird," Ryan said as everyone chuckled.

"I think your sister's fine Ryan; like she said, she's just maturing, that's all," Derek said as he wrapped an arm around his daughter.

"Well, would my new found mature daughter mind keeping Kevin company while I go do my surgery?" Addison asked.

"Yeah, sure I can do that; I'd be more than happy to give him a private tour of the hospital. Hey Kevin, how would you like to see a surgery done up close and personal?" Carson said as she led Kevin and Ryan away, leaving her parents alone to talk.

"That girl really is something," Addison said with a shake of her head.

"She reminds me so much of Amy sometimes," Derek said quietly.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Addison asked.

"It's good; Amy was like her before…anywho, I just wanted to say thank you, Addie, for taking her in. I know I'm not the world's best brother but, thanks, for making her come out here and see me," Derek said as Addison smiled at him.

"Derek, just because we got divorced doesn't mean things have to be awkward between us," Addison said as she reached out to grab his arm.

"So does this mean I'm no longer petty and inconsequential and can come out of my tiny box?" Derek teased as Addison laughed, lightly shoving him.

"We'd barely been divorced for a year when I said that!" Addison laughed as Derek grew serious.

"Meredith's pregnant, three months; I didn't want you to hear it from anyone else. I know it's sudden but-"

"I'm in love with Kevin; we're thinking of getting married," Addison confessed as Derek's eyes widened.

"Wow, wow that's-" Derek began as Addison reached out to hug him.

"Congratulations, to both you and Meredith; that baby's gonna be lucky to have you as its dad," Addison said as she gave his shoulder a squeeze.

"Addie, are you-"

"Derek, I'm fine; people get divorced, they remarry, they have more children," she said with a shrug.

"You and Kevin ever talk about having kids?" Derek asked as the two of them walked down the hallway.

"Kevin's hinted at it maybe one day but, I think I'm over that whole child bearing phase. Carson will be 17 next year, Ryan will be 12; I don't wanna start over again. Plus, I already had my perfect two," she said as the elevator opened.

"I've gotta go get ready for my surgery, I'll talk to you later?" Addison said as she stepped inside.

"Yeah, see you," Derek quietly replied as he watched his ex wife step into the elevator.

oOoOo

"No way," Cristina Yang said to her best friend as they stood in the middle of their old intern hangout.

"I told him and he was ecstatic," Meredith grinned.

"So are we happy about this?" Cristina questioned as Meredith continued to grin.

"Okay, alright, congratulations, let's hug it out," Cristina said as she hugged her friend.

"Has he told Carson and Ryan yet?" Cristina asked.

"Carson sorta found out on her own last night," Meredith admitted.

"Oh. How'd she take it?"

"She seemed, fine with it; she apologized and, we're friends, or at least we're trying to be friends. She asked if she could shadow Derek and me the next time she visits," Meredith said, a hint of pride in her voice.

"That's awesome, I'm happy for you Mere," Cristina said as both their pagers went off.

"Totally Teddy,"

"Derek," Meredith grinned as she watched Cristina's expression change.

"How is the Teddy and Owen thing?"

"Oh, oh fantastic, it's going great; I'm completely over it," Cristina said, placing a hand on Meredith's shoulder.

"This is very adult; I'm really proud of you Meredith Grey," Cristina said with a smile

"I'm proud of me too?" Meredith said questionably before laughing.

"Yes, yes," Cristina said before the two parted ways.

"Hey, I hope it has his hair!" Cristina called out.

"Me too!" Meredith laughed as she went to find Derek.

oOoOo

The one person she wasn't expecting to run into before surgery was Mark Sloan. Addison glanced at Mark as he walked beside her.

"Are you done pouting about the fact that I didn't tell you I had a boyfriend?" Addison teased as they continued to walk in silence.

"So when I came out to LA before, were you two-"

"Kevin and I were on a break," Addison said primly.

"And now?"

"We're in love and I think I might marry him," Addison said as Mark moved to stand in front of her.

"What the hell is going on Addison?" Mark asked as Addison sighed.

"Mark…I'm happy with Kevin; you've moved on with Lexie-"

"She dumped me," Mark grumbled.

"Because you asked your 25 year old girlfriend to help you raise your 18 year old daughter's baby with her. Give Lexie some time to cool off, she'll be over it soon enough and you'll have her back," Addison said as she moved past Mark and headed towards the surgical board.

"Is that what this is about? Me dating Lexie?" Mark asked as Addison sighed, her patience running thin.

"Not everything I do revolves around you and Derek. Listen, I love Kevin I didn't want to because I was scared of the change, of what it would mean for me, for my kids but, Kevin's a good guy. He loves me for me; I don't have to worry about him cheating, or putting work before me, or leaving me and falling in love with a younger woman. He wants me and nobody else; you're happy, Derek's happy, it's time for me to be happy too," Addison said as Mark looked at her.

"He really makes you happy?" Mark asked.

"It complicated and difficult for me sometimes but, yes Mark, Kevin makes me very happy," she said as Mark stared at her for a few moments.

"I don't like it but fine; if he makes you happy then go ahead. You're right, you do deserve to be happy, we all do. But I swear, he steps out of line one time-" Mark warned as Addison laughed, reaching out to give him a hug.

"He's got quite the list of men ready and willing to step up and kick his ass," she laughed, pressing a kiss to Mark's cheek.

"Thanks, for always being such a great friend, even after what went down in New York," she whispered.

"I couldn't ruin almost 20 years of friendship over a few bad judgment calls. You and Derek are the only family I've got; I love you guys way too much to lose you over bullshit. Why do you think I moved across the country to the rainiest place in the world?" Mark smirked as he gave Addison a little squeeze.

"I know I shouldn't be telling you this but, Meredith's pregnant," Addison quietly told him as Mark's eyes went wide.

"How do you know?"

"Derek told me this morning," She said as Mark looked down at her.

"He just admitted that to you?"

"Said he didn't want me finding out from someone else; I told him I'm thinking about marrying Kevin," Mark's eyes widened again as he tilted his head to the side.

"How'd he take that?"

"I dunno; I mean, like I told him people get married, shit happens, they get divorced, they remarry, they have more children. Honestly, I'm happy for him, I really am," Addison said as Mark stared at her.

"LA really has changed you," Mark said as Addison laughed.

"See? I told you; I'm much more Zen now. The old Addison would've been angry and bitter, but the new Addison? I'm genuinely happy for them. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a pregnant mom and baby to save," She grinned before heading off to the OR.

"Hey, be a god in there today!" Mark called out to her.

"When have I ever not been a god?" Addison said with a smirk before disappearing behind the 'authorized personnel only' doors.

oOoOo

Gary Clarke wandered aimlessly around the hospital in search of Derek Shepherd. No one seemed to be of any use to him. And they called this place a hospital? Ha. This wasn't a hospital, if were, people would've been more attentive to helping him. That was probably how his wife had died; no one in this hospital really cared about patience, all they cared about were themselves. The fact that he was able to wander around the hospital into places where he had no business being was proof in itself.

He made his way into a supply room near the elevators where he spotted a doctor with a pixie haircut.

"Excuse me, ma'am?" The doctor, Reed Adamson looked up at him

"It's doctor, what?" She asked, grabbing some supplies.

"I was wondering if you could tell me where I could find Dr. Derek Shepherd?" He asked.

"Um, ya know, I don't know," Reed said as she tried to walk away from him, though he grabbed her, rather sternly, by the arm.

"Can you tell me where his office is, I'm kinda turned around here," Gary said.

"Sir, y'know, I have a patient having seizures in there; go find a nurse and ask them," Reed said, pulling away from his grasp. She had other things to do.

Gary had had enough; his face was hard as stone when he called to her one final time.

"Ma'am," Reed turned to him with an annoyed sigh.

"Look, you're not even supposed to be back here; I'm not a tour guide I'm a surgeon, okay?" With that, he pulled out his gun and shot her in the head, watching as her brain matter spilled onto the floor; the bullet casing could be heard falling to the ground. He stood motionless as he stared at her now lifeless body; the sound of someone walking could be heard in the distance.

"Dude, what the-" Alex Karev began as Gary Clark turned on him, firing a single shot into his chest, causing him to fall to the ground.

oOoOo

"Wow Carson, you really know this hospital like the back of your hand," Kevin said as the young girl lead he and Ryan down a hallway.

"I practically lived in this hospital; it's what happens when your parents are surgeons," Carson said with a shrug as they continued to walk.

"What about you Ry, you know this place as good as your big sis?" Kevin asked.

"Kinda, I know where the morgue is!" He said with excitement.

"Ryan wants to work with dead people when he grows up," Carson said with a sigh.

"There's nothing wrong with wanting to be like Booth and Brenan Carson; mom and dad support me," Ryan argued as Carson rolled her eyes.

"So you want to be an FBI agent and an anthropologist?" Carson said with a smirk.

"No, I wanna be like Dr. Saroyan, I wanna be a medical examiner, but being like Booth wouldn't be so bad either," Ryan grinned just as an older gentleman bumped into them.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Ryan said as the man stopped and looked at him for a moment.

"You look familiar…" the older man said as Kevin eyed the man carefully.

"You look lost sir; can we help you with something?" Kevin said.

"I'm just a bit turned around, I'm looking for the chief of surgery, Derek Shepherd. Do you know where I could find him?" The man said, though just as Ryan was about to answer, Carson stopped him.

"No, we don't actually; we're here visiting a relative," Carson said as the man watched her for a moment before walking in the other direction.

"Carson, why didn't you tell that man where dad was?" Ryan asked.

"That man is Gary Clarke; he's trying to sue dad," Carson said, glancing back at Gary Clarke as he walked away.

"Why's he suing dad?" Ryan wanted to know.

"His wife died and he thinks dad's responsible," Carson said as Kevin looked at her.

"Carson, are you okay?" He asked; she was wearing that same look that Addison wore when she was worried.

"Yeah I just…something about that guy gives me the creeps," she said as Kevin also glanced back only to find that Gary Clarke was watching them.

"Carson, why don't you take Ryan and go to your father's office," Kevin said as Carson looked at him strangely.

"Kevin, what's-"

"Just trust me Carson," Kevin said as Ryan looked between the two of them.

"Alright; c'mon Ry," Carson said as she led her younger brother in the direction of their father's office.

"Where's Kevin going?" Ryan asked, glancing back at his mother's boyfriend.

"I dunno; maybe he's going to go watch mom's surgery," Carson said, though she had a sinking feeling in her gut that that wasn't where he was going.

oOoOo

Meredith was happy as she strolled down the hallway and into Derek's office. He was at his desk doing paperwork as usual. Though he did seem more relaxed than normal; maybe things were going to be okay she thought to herself.

"Hey, you paged?" Meredith wore a huge grin as she closed the door to Derek's office.

"I like to say hello to my wife every 48 hours; you didn't come home last night," Derek said as he leaned forward to give her a kiss. After they went out to dinner, Meredith disappeared, leaving Derek to have some alone time with his children.

"I told you every Tuesday night I'm trolling for cases; last night a guy crashed his motorcycle, had rebar jammed in the base of his skull and shadow Shepherd let me do the extraction," Meredith sounded completely giddy as she recounted her ER tale to her husband.

"You know what I've been doing? Paperwork, know what I have to look forward to today? More paperwork; this job is just…I would love to have something jammed in my brain, that way I'd see the inside of an OR,"

"Where are Carson and Ryan?" Meredith asked, nothing how tired her husband seemed to be.

"Carson decided that she'd give Addison's boyfriend a tour of the hospital," Derek chuckled.

"How are you feeling about that, Addison having a boyfriend and her bringing him here?" Meredith hadn't seen the mystery man but, she was curious about him.

"I'm fine; Addie says they're serious, thinking about getting married," Derek said.

"Oh?"

"Mmm; I hope you don't mind but, I told Addison you were pregnant. I didn't want her to find out from a second hand source," Derek looked up at Meredith, trying to gauge her response.

"Carson knows so, it only makes sense," Meredith said with a shrug.

"She does? Is that why you two seemed so-"

"We're trying, Derek; we've agreed that we should be friends," Meredith said as Derek smiled at her.

"okay, well, uh, are you gonna come home early tonight and we can order in…" Meredith said

"Yeah, I'll be there," Derek said, not bothering to look up from his paperwork.

"I have to go, I'm on Sloan's post ops," Meredith grinned as Derek briefly looked up at her.

"I hate that you're so happy," He said teasingly.

"Derek, there's gonna be a lot of dirty sex for you tonight, look forward to that," Meredith said before leaving the office.

oOoOo

April Kepner was still getting used to being a resident at Seattle Grace Mercy West. Sure, she'd had a pretty tough start, but she was doing much better. Most of the residents hated her but that didn't bother her…much. She was busy scribbling down some notes as she walked into the supply area near the elevators when she slipped and fell. She let out a whimper of pain as she felt blood coming from her nose. She sat up, immediately noticing a sticky substance on her clothes. Glancing down at her hands, she saw blood that wasn't hers, in fact, there was blood on the floor, lots of it.

Turning around, April was met with the lifeless body of Reed Adamson; her eyes were blank as they stared off into nothingness. The sight of Reed's dead body, the gunshot wound in the middle of her forehead to be exact was enough to send April into a panic attack. Someone had shot Reed.

There was a killer on the loose.

oOo

Carson and Ryan were in good spirits, bags of potato chips and candy in their arms as they made their way into their father's office.

"Hey guys, what are you doing here? Where's Kevin?" Derek said; it was one of the rare moments that he allowed himself to stop doing paperwork.

"He went to look for mom, I think," Ryan said as he hugged his father before moving towards Derek's chair. He was spinning around, shooting balled up paper into the basketball rim on the wall.

got up from his desk to greet his children, though

"Carson, honey, what's wrong?" Derek asked as he noticed the look of concern written all over Carson's face. She glanced at Ryan, who seemed completely oblivious to what was going on before she quietly began to speak,

"Dad, Gary Clarke is in the hospital and he's looking for you," she said.

Just as Derek was about to respond, the door to his office flew open; resident April Kepner stepped inside. Her face was full of shock as Derek and Carson took note of her blood stained scrub uniform.

"Dr. Kepner…April, what is it?" Derek said as he moved towards the unresponsive resident.

"Did you know I-I grew up on a farm…" April rambled.

"What happened?" Derek could sense the change in the air as he motioned for Carson to grab Ryan, who was starting to freak out at the sight of April, one of his favorite residents, covered in blood.

"I, I grew up on a farm so you know blood, blood, doesn't, doesn't bother me I…I slaughtered a pig once that was a lot of blood, bleeding like a stuck pig, and that's a saying. To bleed like a pig y'know it means something but you don't think of people as having that much blood. I mean you learn in med school how many pints we all have in us but you don't realize it until you see it, you don't get how, how m-much blood in a skinny person. Oh my good Reed, she's, she's like almost anorexic she's like five pounds you wouldn't think she had that much blood in her but she-"

"April," Derek tried to keep his voice as calm as possible; he glanced back at his two children who seemed completely frightened by the sight of the rambling resident covered in blood.

"She did she-" April was still rambling when Derek placed his hands on her cheeks.

"She did I mean she-" He was trying not to panic and he really needed her to shut up.

"April, April, shh; you're in shock, it's alright. Tell me what happened," Derek said.

"Reed's dead; someone shot her," April said as Carson's eyes went wide as saucers.

"I know who did it," Carson whispered as Derek looked back at his daughter.

"Who, Carson?"

"It was Gary Clarke," she whispered as Derek looked at her and then at April.

There was a shooter on the loose, in his hospital.

 _To Be Continued…_


End file.
